ϼ

BUSINESS

Albuquerque’s Electric Playhouse closes as company seeks new operator

The business closed its Las Vegas Strip location last year

Brandon Garrett, CEO of Electric Playhouse, poses for a portrait at his company’s West Side location in June 2023.
Published Modified

An Albuquerque-based immersive entertainment and technology venue announced it has temporarily shut down operations as its owner searches for a new operator.

Electric Playhouse, 5201 Ouray NW, has been a “testing and development site” since its February 2020 opening, CEO Brandon Garrett said Thursday.

A reopening date has not been announced, but Garrett said the company expects to set one within the next two months if it finds a new operator.

The company’s future plans include working with museums, schools and other entertainment venues to incorporate its technology, Garrett said.

“At this point, we have really matured our technology and have found just so many different opportunities,” he said.

Garrett, who co-founded Electric Playhouse in 2018, said the move to close the Albuquerque location is not related to past financial struggles that led the company to close its Las Vegas Strip location.

Those hardships led Electric Playhouse to file for Chapter 11 protection for its Las Vegas site in October with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada. The company then filed for Chapter 7, which permanently closed the location the following month.

The Las Vegas location owed $4.43 million to its largest 20 unsecured creditors, filings at the time estimated.

Garrett said he has spoken to several groups that have shown interest in purchasing the Electric Playhouse location in Albuquerque, though no official agreements have been reached.

The Albuquerque closure was announced in social media posts by Electric Playhouse on Thursday, following a request for comment.

The company said it is reaching out to passholders with information regarding their membership. Those who have existing reservations will receive an email explaining how their booking will be handled.

Garrett said the company hopes to find an operator for the Albuquerque location who could “take it to the next level.”

“We wanted to find that operator without having a temporary shutdown, but that has not happened yet,” he said. “We want to find an operator quickly so that it can reopen and still be a great option for the community.”

Keelin Fisher is a business reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kfisher@abqjournal.com